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laboratory automation

Oak Ridge National Lab reveals ‘hidden workforce’ behind AI-powered research facilities

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By Clint Keeton

Behind every self-driving laboratory at the US Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory is a team most people never see. Facilities and Operations (F&O) workers are building and maintaining the infrastructure that makes autonomous science possible.

Autonomous labs run with little human intervention. Instead, they rely on robotics, sensors and automation to perform everything from pouring liquids to placing samples into ovens. They learn and adapt, with artificial intelligence making at least one decision in the process.

More than a dozen self-driving labs operate at ORNL, placing the Tennessee national lab among the first research institutions in the world to create this autonomous laboratory model at scale. [Read more…] about Oak Ridge National Lab reveals ‘hidden workforce’ behind AI-powered research facilities

Why Automating the Diagnostics Lab Won’t Rescue a Weak Validation Process

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Lab automation has a clear, well-earned business case. Robotic sample handling, automated liquid handlers, and end-to-end specimen tracking raise throughput, cut manual errors, and relieve a workforce stretched thin by rising test volumes. The technology is mature, the gains are real, and adoption is accelerating.

That shift is well past the experimental stage. Robotics has become standard in diagnostic labs, where automated systems routinely handle sample preparation, transport to hematology, chemistry, and immunoassay analyzers, and post-analytical storage. The newest wave goes further still.

AI-ready laboratory automation platforms standardize multistep workflows and generate the structured, high-volume datasets that machine-learning models depend on. [Read more…] about Why Automating the Diagnostics Lab Won’t Rescue a Weak Validation Process

ABB showcases the future of lab automation at SLAS 2026

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ABB Robotics is demonstrating what it describes as “the next leap in automated laboratory workflows”, showcasing how AI-powered, Autonomous Versatile Robotics (AVRTM) can deliver higher throughput, improved reproducibility and seamless multi-vendor connectivity.

ABB Robotics is at Booth #2027 at the ongoing Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening (SLAS) 2026 International Conference & Exhibition, February 7-11 at the Thomas Michael Menino Convention & Exhibition Center in Boston.

Jose-Manuel Collados, service robotics product line manager at ABB Robotics, says: “Laboratories worldwide are moving from isolated automation pilots to fully connected, AI-ready operations. [Read more…] about ABB showcases the future of lab automation at SLAS 2026

Beckman Coulter Life Sciences partners with Automata to accelerate AI-ready laboratory automation

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Beckman Coulter Life Sciences and Automata have announced a strategic partnership that integrates Beckman Coulter Life Sciences liquid handling, genomic and cell analysis technologies with Automata’s AI-ready automation platform to enable faster, more consistent and more scalable experimentation for research organizations.

The collaboration brings together Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, a global leader in laboratory automation and innovation and a subsidiary of Danaher Corporation, and Automata, a London-based lab automation company modernizing how R&D laboratories design, execute and scale scientific workflows.

The partnership is part of a larger investment in which Danaher Ventures will participate in Automata’s Series C funding round and join the company’s board of directors, strengthening alignment and long-term support for joint innovation. [Read more…] about Beckman Coulter Life Sciences partners with Automata to accelerate AI-ready laboratory automation

MassRobotics reveals 11 startups to take part in 5th Healthcare Robotics Startup Catalyst Program

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MassRobotics, in collaboration with Festo, Novanta and Mitsubishi Electric Automation, announces the selection of 11 startups for the 2026 Healthcare Robotics Startup Catalyst.

Now in its fifth cohort, the program empowers global startups to accelerate the development and commercialization of robotic technologies that improve clinical care, hospital operations, and laboratory automation. [Read more…] about MassRobotics reveals 11 startups to take part in 5th Healthcare Robotics Startup Catalyst Program